Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-03-14
ALe.aer of cos,ll.en..

in the pose and costume. "A
youlnt through the glass revealed a
Irteud. and . few minutes later l was
eated noiseIessly few feet behind her
to 'Lohengrin" and enjoying,
not for the first time, the charm of q
nearly perfect woman. Who was it said
that God Almighty took twenty years to
make perfect woman! It was true in
this case, and the few extra
wears had added something else
that may have been a disturbing
element, but only deepened the charm.
Her profile came against the dark lining
of the boxes across the way; her head,
like those of maidens in the Panathe-
mean procession, bent forward trife
moodily; small, pink, round ear was
listening to the slow words of youth
directly at her back, and l thought the
polished righs shoulder--shoulders are
immen sely expressive sometimes-had q
certain protesting turn to it. My admi-
ration for this lovely vision had been
open enough the winter before to war.
rant friends in retailing all the gossip of
the summer in regard to her, particular
" a. to things l might be expected by
no means to relish, and sat wondering
whether any of it was true, and whether
the distracted look IN her face had to do
with what had heard.
Finally I examined the youth. He
proved to be a noted leader of cotillions,
not born to New York, but already
indisr ensible to young ladies and their
mammas who give balls. rightfully
esteemed, moreover, for his taste in
flowers and the fitting up of boudoir
and drawing.room. He, too, was worth
examining. / could not but think how
nice of him it was that he, like the
young ladies, his patrons and clients,
should give SO much time and pains to
his dress. Handsome to begin with,
although not cast in any heroic mold,
he was exquisite as bouquet that comes
from the tiorist's-exactly proportioned,
just right in the arrangement of the
flowers, sweet-smelling and fresh, with
the ice-water that srtlully recalls dew
glimmering neatly on rose and leaf. His
face did not indeed sparkle, lut it was
fresh colored and the blonde mustache
curled with exact care at the
right number OF inches below the
suggestion of curl on his white fore.
head. l envied heartily the perfect set
Of his coat, the unwrinkled line of his
trousers, and the little patent-leather
shoe that coyly peeped below. The
upper body was bent at just the right
angle at the waist. creasing slightly the
.starched white waistcoat with gold but
tons. A flower corresponding with the
bouquet that she had laid on the edge of
the box was in the lapel, and his gloved
hands rested against each other lightly.
yet with the motion of an appeal-an
appeal belied, however, by the immo-
sbility of his face. l wondered if they
were engaged, hoped they were not, and
fortified the hope of rejecting that be-
~cause they were go alike in some things,
because their names were connected, be-
cause it was to the world in all respects
90 fitting match--just for those reasons
they never would marry.
The act ended and waited for him to
move, but he would not bulge, though
he saw me well enough and knew who /
was. had to rise and talk over him.
The warm look of Friendship. the elabo-
rate glance my friend gave round about
for chair for me, were not enough to
move him. She was determined, how.
ever; seeing that, he rose and bowed
himself out.
SIS it true!" said: l. nodding in his
direction.
Sne looked away, frowned slightly,
and said: "Take me round to Mrs.
Norman's box; she is nearly alone, and
there is so much chattering here"
reflected as we passed to the other
box that last year she would not have
dared to suggest even such an innocent
thing a. this. Once ensconced in the
vestibule to the box of our kind chape-
,rone few questions brought flood of
news.
81 always told you that you have the
gift of bringing confidence down ON
yourself. Well, yes, am half engaged
to that-to that"
''Leader of cotillions," I said gravely.
She laughed. ''He is more than that;
but am not in so much danger as you
may think. 1t is tribute to my vanity
to know that he is devoted to me. He is
very intimate with girls who make me
feel that l do not belong to them and
theirs; that am not rich; that / do not
dress, live. and talk like them. They
invite me to their big balls, but not to
their special dances-don't you know
And they ask him how bis swimming.
match girl is, because I was the best
swimmer last year at Narragansett. But
(and here she heaved sigh "there is
another"
'sGreat heavens! third!"
She eyed me with her candid orbs and
forced faint, faint smile.
''Come! you know l never reckoned
You among my conquests. You are be-
yond-above me. l cannot imagine you
among them, and somehow should be
sorry to class you with them. You are
apart. You are my father confessor.
go on, then, small penitsnt; perhaps
after ell have heard of him, too"
She gave me o wistful look out of
large brown eyes, as much as to say:
-'Dop't believe anything wrong of me
that gossips may have reported;" waited
. little, with her lovely head on one
side, and then said:
''Harry does lead the cotillion we'll
and he dances perfectly. Then at Mar.
ragansstt he had his horses, and made
me use one, though told mamma it wal
not the right thing and would cause
gossip. He monopolized every moment
and Jack-that's the other one-had tt
fight for half an hours talk. Bat Har
ry doesn't care for swimming and do
So Jack and I saw each other gooi
deal on the beach. And even after w
quarreled he would always swim ou
when / got into deep water, so as to bt
near in case I needed him. But o.
course l never took the slightest notice
of him then"
$50, so! You quarreled! About the
horses?"
"Well, yes. He was jealous-and
said things-and wanted to know if l
was engaged-and made himself disa.
greeable generally. 1t isn't pleasant to
keep two men apart who hate each other
somehow-to like one
better than the other, and yet neither
~